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Christmas racing schedule: What’s on and where including King George VI Chase

By Sporting Life

09:20 · MON December 11, 2023

‘Tis the season to be jolly and if you’re a National Hunt fan you’re in for another Christmas feast complete with all the trimmings.

Frost, snow and heavy rain have hit in Britain and Ireland recently but over the festive period ITV are planning on covering action from 14 race meetings, featuring 41 races in total, across six joyous days of high-octane racing.

From Boxing Day right through to New Year’s Day, the Christmas jumpers are out in force and here we highlight the full schedule including some of the star names anticipated to be on show.

Tuesday December 26 ITV 12.30-3pm

Kempton and Wetherby (5 races)

The Ladbrokes King George VI Chase, in its earlier slot of 2.30 this year, comes live from Kempton and Bravemansgame will bid to follow up last year’s Kauto Star Novices’ Chase win on this card and provide champion trainer Paul Nicholls with a 13th career success in the Christmas feature.

Frodon struck for the Ditcheat team two years ago and he and Bryony Frost will be back for another shot at the prize, along with another from the same stable in Hitman.

Henry De Bromhead’s Envoi Allen is likely to represent Ireland, while the Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse and Joe Tizzard’s grey Eldorado Allen are also in the mix for Grade One glory on Boxing Day.

The Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (1.55) features the latest hurdling superstar in Constitution Hill, who wowed onlookers in the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham in March as well as on his seasonal reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

The Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase (1.20) also carries Grade One status and could see the Nicholls-trained McFabulous, who was a striking winner at Newbury when getting the better of Thyme Hill in November.

There is an added bonus too with the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle (12.45) rescheduled from Ascot's recently abandoned meeting. ITV1 will also show the competitive William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (1.35) from Wetherby.

Thursday Dec 28 ITV4 12.30-3.30pm

Kempton and Chepstow (9 races)

Gordon Elliott's Escaria Ten could try to carry top weight in the Coral Welsh Grand National (2.50) and that is the Tuesday highlight from Chepstow, where Venetia Williams’ Quick Wave and the Harry Fry-trained Ask Me Early are well-fancied in the antepost market.

Colin Tizzard won the Welsh National in 2016 and 2018 with Native River and Elegant Escape respectively and his son Joe is readying Haydock runner-up The Big Breakaway for the race this time around.

The action continues at Kempton where the Grade Two Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase (2.30), won by Nicky Henderson’s stars Altior and Shishkin in recent years, will take place.

Friday Dec 29 ITV4 12.45-3.30pm

Leopardstown and Leicester (6 races)

The spotlight switches to Ireland and day three of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival leading the way in terms of the ITV4 coverage.

The 175,000 euro Savills Chase is the top-class highlight and last year saw subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard narrowly denied by Galvin in a thrilling finish. That pair might lock horns again, while Gordon Elliott’s Irish Gold Cup winner Conflated, Stattler and the Leopardstown regular Kemboy are also in contention.

The three-mile Christmas Hurdle is being run in memory of Jack De Bromhead and could see a fascinating battle between Flooring Porter and Klassical Dream - the winners of the race for the last two years - plus Home By The Lee and Bob Olinger who were first and second in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan in November.

The valuable Ballymaloe Relish Beginners Chase (2.55) is another race to keep a close eye on having been won last year by Galopin Des Champs.

Saturday December 30 ITV4 12.45-3.30pm

Leopardstown and Doncaster (6 races)

The Matheson Hurdle (2.20) is the Thursday highlight at Leopardstown which is likely to see the Mullins-trained Sharjah bid for a fifth straight win in the Grade One event over two miles.

Five career wins in the race would take him past former greats Istabraq and Hurricane Fly, who each won the Matheson on four occasions.

He will, however, need to reverse recent Punchestown form with up-and-coming stablemate State Man, who emerged on the scene by impressively winning last season’s County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – and hasn’t looked back since.

The Neville Hotels Novice Chase (1.45) is the other Grade One on the supporting card at Leopardstown, while action from Doncaster’s Festive Family Raceday bolsters the ITV4 programme.

Sunday December 31 ITV4 1-4pm

Newbury, Warwick and Lingfield (8 races)

The Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle (3.00) is the annual highlight in Britain on New Year’s Eve and Paul Nicholls will no doubt be looking for more fireworks from his youngsters having won the race with Bravemansgame and Stage Star in the past two seasons.

Hermes Allen – part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson – could be the Ditcheat representative this term after a nine-length win at Cheltenham’s November Meeting and he’s likely to face Kim Bailey’s bright prospect Chianti Classico who defied a penalty in ready fashion at Market Rasen on December 1.

Monday January 1 ITV 1-3.30pm

Cheltenham, Musselburgh and Tramore (7 races)

The six-day run of terrestrial TV concludes with seven New Year’s Day races from Cheltenham, Musselburgh and Tramore.

The Prestbury Park card includes the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle (2.30), the Paddy Power Novices' Chase (1.20) - formerly the Dipper - and the valuable Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase (1.55).

Musselburgh features the Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle (1.35) and 'Auld Reekie' Handicap Chase (2.45).

Completing the quality festive action from Ireland, ITV1 will also show Tramore's Savills New Year's Day Chase live at 2.15, a race won for the past four years by the Mullins-trained dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo.

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